BATMAN: Clawed
by Arkham Crusader
Summary: A new menace emerges, scourging Gotham of corrupt businessmen. With an M.O. of clawed faces and emerald jewelry, what is the mystery behind the Catwoman? Dive into the mind of Gotham's most notorious thief, and witness the first confrontation of Batman and Catwoman.


N: CLAWED

Introducing, the revamp debut of _**THE CATWOMAN!**_

 **CHAPTER 1:**

 **TWO CATS AND A ROOFTOP**

Carl J. Sphinx ran along the rooftop, and desperately tried to escape the shadow that loomed over him. Pointed ears, and a glare that pierced his heart, which pumped vital blood as fast as possible. A dead end cut him off, and the figure grew ever closer. Suddenly, the moonlight was eclipsed by the same ears.

"Look, I know what this about. I had nothing to do with the bank's explosion." Much to Carl's surprise, the figure listened on. "Do you have any idea how many people in this city are in danger of foreclosure because of a single late payment?! That could have been anyone!"

The figure shrugged, and moved closer, like a phantasm, it moved gently across the rooftop. "It wasn't me, I swear! It wasn't me, ya hear?! Stay away from me...Monster! Freak! Demon from below! Crazy-" Carl screamed. "Please..." The figure spoke. It raised a claw and took hold of Carl. Carl quivered as her claw lightly scratched his throat. "Call me "Catwoman", darling. But I owe you a big thanks, Carl." Catwoman pulled back her mask, and flashed Carl a smile. "You?!" He gasped, as Catwoman's eyes bore into his with a blue glow. She leaned closer and kissed him. "Thanks." She whispered, before her claw ripped across his throat.

Carl J. Sphinx is dead.

CHAPTER 2

SELINA KYLE

Bruce Wayne walked the streets of Gotham with an eye on the sky at night. And luckily so. The wings of a giant bat ripped into the clouds, taking flight from the rooftop of the GCPD. Commissioner Gordon was calling for Batman, and Batman would answer. "Batman." Jim greeted. "What's the urgency, Commissioner?" Batman didn't return Jim's smile. "Carl Sphinx was found dangling from the roof of the Sphinx Technology building in the Metro district. His throat was slashed open, and an emerald ring was found in the wound. I'm hoping you can make something of it. His fiance, Selina Kyle is on the scene. She's a wreck. Maybe you can get something out of-" Batman was gone when he turned.

"Ms. Kyle." A firm voice said behind the crying Selina. She whipped around to see Batman crossing the police tape. "H-How do you know my name?" She brushed her long black hair into her face, trying to hide her tears from the Batman. "What was the victim like while you were dating him? Did he show any signs of being afraid of anything? Nervous in any way?" Batman asked in one of his calmer tones. Never interrogate the victim of the death of a loved one. No information comes out that way. Batman held true to that. "He was a terrific man." Selina sniffled. "We were having lunch yesterday, when he got a phone call, and left very abruptly. He sounded like it was urgent. I don't know where he went." Selina started to whimper again. "He had a meeting with Bruce Wayne tomorrow. Something about a buyout." Selina looked over the edge of the building, seeing Carl dangle, and still wet blood drip to the street below. She smiled a slight smile, but she didn't let Batman see it. Instead, she fell to her knees, and feigned not being competent to discuss the situation.

"Attend the meeting with Wayne in the morning. Inform him of Carl's death." Batman ordered before he left.

"Mister Wayne?" A woman entered Wayne's office, dressed in a white jacket, a black shirt, and a black skirt, with black hair, and an emerald necklace. "How may I help you, Miss...?" Bruce looked up from his paperwork. "Kyle." She answered. "Selina Kyle. I'm here regarding Carl Sphinx." Selina accepted Bruce's pulling the chair out.

"Selina Kyle...I've heard of you, haven't I? You weren't on television, were you, Miss Kyle?" Bruce scratched his chin. "I was. Gotham Inquiries Incorporated. I'm an investigative reporter. Carl couldn't make it." Bruce could see tears form, and hear her voice soften. "Carl...Carl's been...murdered..." Selina rubbed her eyes. "That's terrible...Here, let me take you to lunch. We'll discuss business and formalities on a full stomach. Do you like Chinese, Miss Kyle?"

Selina took Bruce's hand and smiled.

"Have you seen the papers, Selina?" Batman showed Selina a headline. VIGILANTE THAT KILLS: WHAT IS THE STRANGE SECRET OF THE CATWOMAN?

"Yeah." Selina answered without looking away from her food. "Do you think she could be related to the Batman?" Bruce asked. A glare formed in Selina's eye, but it quickly blinked away. "I don't think so. Batman wouldn't let her run around killing people." She answered. "Oh crap. I have to go, Bruce. I'll see you when I can. Thanks for cheering me up. Bye bye."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. Why did the subject of Catwoman make Selina uncomfortable...?

CHAPTER 3

CAT'S EYE EMERALD

Selina's door eased open, and she flicked on the lights. In the distance, a beautiful green jewel on a necklace gleamed from inside of her jewelry box. Selina had seen the glow for as long as she could remember, or at least, as long as she cared to. Her mother gave it to her shortly before she vanished.

Selina shook her head and breathed in the stench of reality. "Ran away." She corrected herself. Her eyes didn't leave the gem, as she corrected herself once more. "Abandoned you."

The emerald was hypnotic, really. Not with its beauty, but with the bittersweet pain of rememberance. She looked deeper into the center. Suddenly, the green took on a dark red tint, and Selina saw a little girl lying on the streets, emptily staring into the night sky, wondering what could possibly have ripped childhood away from her.

Selina moved her head slightly, trying to look away, but she couldn't. The little girl had blood gushing from her forehead, her arms, her legs, and her clothing was ripped here and there. The little girl spoke a haunting word.

"Daddy..."

Selina shook her head, as she backed away from the emerald, but the girl's voice grew even louder.

"Daddy..."

Now, the room was black. All that remained was the emerald that told a horrible tale.

"DADDY! NOOO!"

Selina finally closed her eyes, and now she was the little girl. She was, once again, little Selina Kyle. A bat swung, and knocked her to the ground. She looked up, and saw the image of her own father, but it wasn't human. As far as she scarcely could remember, her father never was. He was a monster, who punished her for speaking just as her mother had, and destroyed what little faith she had in the good of Gotham City. That was the night that made her what she was today. Made her who she was. Made her into the person she was the last couple of nights...Made her the Catwoman.

She flew into a rage, and knocked the figure away. Several more of him approached, and she dealt many a kick, many a punch...And a flick of her wrist made the sudden mark of 3 cuts appear on another man's face. Blood exited them. Suddenly, the other men were gone, and she recognized the face of Arnold Trojan of Waldon Industries. He was the head financial advisor. Selina had investigated him a long time ago, in connection to a sudden cease of funding to the animal protection agencies in favor of a vacation fund. But what was he doing in Selina Kyle's apartment? Where had he come from? Why-

Selina looked down at her arm. Black vinyl. She looked at her hand. Claws took the place of fingernails.

She looked around, and she was in Trojan's office. This was not good. This was compulsion. She scrampled to a glass table, and looked at her reflection through the splattered blood.

While Selina Kyle was mesmerised by tragedy, Catwoman had killed once again.

CHAPTER 4

ARKHAM ARCHIVE

"I've gotten word of another victim, Alfred." Batman turned away from the computer. "Same MO as the Sphinx murder. Cameras around the crime scene were shut down. An emerald ring found in the wound again. Whomever this Catwoman is, she has a fixation with emeralds."

"Unusual to note, sir, that you mentioned Selina Kyle left your outing most suddenly after the introduction of the Catwoman into the conversation." Alfred suggested. "Yes?" Batman said, afraid of what Alfred might say next. Deep down, Batman had a feeling that Alfred shared, and both of them daredn't mention it to the other, but Alfred made implications, and Batman confirmed them in his mind as he spoke. "You mentioned that Kyle was wearing an emerald necklace. Describing it, I was able to match it to-" Batman didn't let Alfred finish. He didn't have to. "The Cat's Eye. That's the nickname of that particular kind of emerald..." Batman typed in "SELINA KYLE" into the Batcomputer.

A record came up, and Batman read it off.

"Selina Kyle was locked in Arkham at age 12 after the violent murder of her father...prior to that, she had experience in almost professional robberies of high profile gems, which she sold on black markets to help her and her father survive...After being raped by the father, and beaten, Selina broke, and killed him, and lived on the run for a year, until she was finally apprehended by Captain James W. Gordon. After being diagnosed with Kleptomania, Selina was treated by Doctor Matthew Bartholomew, and released from Arkham Asylum at age 16. When she was 17 years old, she was abducted by the son of Carl Sphinx, being Ron Sphinx. After the unexpected death of Ron in a car accident, in which the breaks were cut, Selina was engaged to Carl Sphinx. Selina shared in his wealth, and was the beneficiary at the time of the death of Carl Sphinx..."

"Sir..." Alfred took him by the shoulder, and refrained from saying what he thought, which was "This'll teach you to get involved with a widow, Master Bruce."

"Selina Kyle is the Catwoman. I'll take her down." Batman waved his hand, which was the signal for Alfred to give him privacy.

CHAPTER 5

CATWOMAN'S HEIST

The next day, at the office, Selina slipped a newspaper from the printing press. Anything to avoid paying for inaccurate information. The headline though, was entirely out of Selina's interest. Catwoman, however, couldn't refrain from smiling blood red lips as she read. BRUCE WAYNE TO DISPLAY LEGENDARY WAYNE EMERALD AT GOTHAM MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

Purr-fect.

That night, Catwoman leapt across the rooftops, and followed a truck. It wasn't hard to find. Catwoman knew all of the shipping routes to the museum, and this one was taking the most second most common one, to keep from thieves easily following it. _Unfortunatly for them_ , Catwoman thought, _I'm no ordinary thief_.

It wasn't a difficult target to keep sight of. Not with WAYNE ENTERPRISES printed everywhere it could be, and police escort vehicles on 4 sides. Catwoman took a giant leap from the closest rooftop, without even taking a breath. Cats weren't afraid of heights. She landed on the roof of the rear vehicle with a thud of her feet.

"Something landed on my roof. Probably just a bird or something." The female officer inside reported. A moment later, she was tumbling on the highway, with her partner following behind. Catwoman was in the driver's seat now. "Attention all units, I've been carjacked! I don't-" She looked down, and her radio was fried, and her partner was unconscious.

The escort arrived at the museum, and was greeted by the standard guards. "Escort one, pull out. Escort two, pull out. Escort three, pull out. Escort four, pull out." The controller ordered. Escort four didn't move. "Escort four, respond and comply."

Nothing.

An officer ripped the door open, and nobody was there. He drew a gun, and examined the inside. The glass seperating the front from the back was cut in a circle. Suddenly, a whip smacked the gun from his hand, and a clawed finger twirled the gun around, and fired into his face.

"What's going on over there?!" Another guard screamed as they ran toward the vehicle. A cat-like figure flipped onto the roof, and whipped the guns away, then pounced on one of them, and ripped his face apart with her claws. One of the guards grabbed her leg, and she snapped her head around to look him in the eyes with hers, which glared like a feline scorned. The rest was a blurr, and suddenly, Catwoman was staring with glee at an emerald in the back of the truck. She reached in to grab it...

And it vanished.

CHAPTER 6

THE CAT IN HIS PATH

The emerald vanished...Or it was never there...

Just as Catwoman thought. A Waynetech hologram projecter. Sneaky. A fake escort. But that meant-

"Selina Kyle." A grimm voice said from the shadows. "You are under arrest for capital murder, theft, and destruction of private property." Catwoman turned her head, and saw the Dark Knight approaching. "You set me up, didn't you...?" Catwoman placed her hands on top of her head. Batman didn't have to answer. Catwoman feigned confidence as she laughed. Instantly, a catonine tails whip wrapped around Batman's neck. Catwoman stood behind him, and growled. "You don't get it, do you, Batman..." Catwoman's claw scratched Batman's face as she circled him. "These 'victims' of murder are the poison in Gotham's veins. The salt in an open wound...the cyanide in the catnip...Using their own power to destroy the powerless. Murder the infrastructure with taxes out of the wallets of those who need it most...I bet you must be loaded to have the AUDACITY to fight for the villainous corrupts. You have no idea of the true struggles of Gotham City..." Catwoman ripped the cowl from Batman's face, and gaped in horror.

Bruce Wayne.

"Bruce...I..." Selina Kyle was back in control now. She unwrapped the whip from Batman's neck. Bruce was silent as he put his cowl back on, and handcuffed Selina. "I know. Me too." He finally said. They drove in silence as they went to Arkham.

Batman walked her to a vacant cell, and released the cuffs. "Get in." He ordered.

Catwoman didn't move.

"Selina..." Batman gently shoved her into the cell. Catwoman quickly grabbed Batman, and pressed her lips to his. Surrounded by the howling laughter of lunatics, a chemistry formed between Batman and Catwoman.

A chemistry not shared by Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.

Nowhere near being the purr-fect romance like in the fairytales.

THE END.


End file.
